Theoretical conceptualizations of mentalizing postulate a close relationship between the ability to mentalize and the regulation of emotional states. The former is viewed as a key process to modulate the latter with the origins for the link between the two established in early attachment relationships. However, there is a lack of research testing this association empirically. In the present cross-sectional study, the hypothesis of a positive relationship between the two constructs was tested based on data collected on more than 500 non-clinical adult participants. Various self-assessments and an experimentally derived instrument of mentalizing were employed to this end. Correlational analyses confirmed the expected associations between emotion regulation and mentalizing. In addition, regression models showed that adaptive as well as maladaptive emotion regulation, independent of age, gender and native language, could be predicted only by self-focused mentalizing.

Many studies have linked global distress including higher psychological symptom severity and high levels of stress with low levels of well-being among teachers, indicating a need to identify and empirically evaluate protective factors. Mentalizing—the capacity to understand behavior in terms of intentional mental states—may be a candidate protective factor to mediate this association, enhancing well-being in the face of high levels of global distress. The present study examines whether the capacity to mentalize can buffer subjectively experienced stress and psychological symptom severity in a sample of teachers. 215 teachers completed questionnaires measuring self-rated experiences of stress, psychological symptoms, mentalizing capacities and well-being in a cross-sectional design. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation effects. Our findings show that mentalizing was positively associated with well-being. In addition, mentalizing counteracted the negative influence of stress and psychological symptom severity. However, a structural equation model assessing the mediating effect of global distress on well-being via mentalizing was not significant. Therefore, the data indicate that teachers’ capacity to mentalize, regardless of psychological symptom load and subjective experience of stress, has a positive impact on their well-being. The study highlights the protective function of mentalizing and forms a framework for psychological interventions to increase teachers’ well-being.

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BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with posttraumatic and complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in adulthood (PTSD/cPTSD), as well as reduced epistemic trust (trust in the authenticity and personal relevance of interpersonally transmitted information) and impaired personality functioning. The present work aims to investigate the predictive value of epistemic trust—the capacity for social learning—on the mediating effect of personality functioning in the association of ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD.MethodsWe conducted structural equation modeling (SEM) based on representative data of the German population (N = 2,004). Personality functioning (OPD-SQS) was applied as a mediator between ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD (ITQ), while epistemic trust (ETMCQ) was added as predictor for OPD-SQS. TLI, CFI, and RMSEA (95%-CI) determined the models’ fit.ResultsN = 477 (23.8%) participants reported at least one ACE and n = 218 (10.9%) reported ≥4 ACEs. Fit indices were good for both PTSD (TLI = 0.96; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.041–0.078) and cPTSD (TLI = 0.96; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.043–0.081). ACEs were significantly associated with cPTSD (β = 0.44, p < 0.001) and PTSD (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), explaining 20 and 8% of its variance. Adding personality functioning as a mediator increased the explained variance of cPTSD and PTSD to 47 and 19% while the direct association between ACEs and cPTSD/PTSD decreased (β = 0.21/β = 0.17), thus, indicating a partial mediation. Including epistemic trust substantially increased the explained variance for personality functioning (41%) compared to ACEs as a single predictor (16%).ConclusionWe add to previous research emphasizing the association between ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD symptoms. Offering insights on underlying mechanisms, we show that epistemic trust and personality functioning are relevant mediators. Since both are modifiable by psychotherapy, knowledge about the role of these constructs can inform research on psychotherapeutic interventions and prevention.

Background The clinical concept of mentalizing has recently been extended into non-clinical contexts. In particular, the protective function of robust mentalizing as a processing capacity of interpersonal and intrapsychic events has become a focus of consideration. Theoretical approaches hypothesize that mentalizing may allow for an adequate self-awareness in the face of aversive experiences such as stress, leading to a reappraisal of these experiences and therefore enables the use of adaptive coping behaviors. Objective The study aimed to investigate the association between coping behavior, mentalizing and experiences of stress. Method 534 healthy adults completed the German-language Stress Processing Questionnaire (SVF), the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), and a short scale of the Trierer Inventory of Chronic Stress (TICS) in a cross-sectional research design. Results Correlational analyses suggested associations between coping and mentalizing. Furthermore, MZQ scores predicted both positive and negative coping behavior. The relationship between stress and both negative and positive coping was mediated by mentalizing capacity. Conclusion Findings confirm the hypothesis that mentalizing may represent a coping resource within a resilience framework. An implementation of the concept in preventive mental health interventions is discussed.